How many days in Greece? 8 days: Athens, Delphi, Meteora and two Cyclades
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Greece is two trips in one: the mainland of ancient sanctuaries and mountains, and the islands of the Aegean. Eight days covers both if you keep the islands to two and travel in a line: Athens, inland to Delphi and Meteora, back to Athens, then a ferry to Naxos and on to Santorini, where you fly home. The usual mistake is five islands in a week and half of it on ferries.
Short answer
Six days works if you drop Naxos and sail from Piraeus straight to Santorini, or see Delphi on a day trip and skip Meteora. Eight days gives each place at least one full day.
The 8-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Athens: the Acropolis and Plaka
Morning. Take the 8:00 Acropolis slot (€30, booked on hhticket.gr) before the heat and the cruise groups; allow 2 hours for the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. Walk 5 minutes down to the Acropolis Museum (about €20).
Afternoon. Walk the pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou street into Plaka and up to Anafiotika, then on to the Ancient Agora (about €20) and the Temple of Hephaestus.
Evening. Sunset on Filopappou Hill, facing the Parthenon, then souvlaki in Monastiraki (about €4 a pitta) or meze in Psyrri after 21:00.
Stay near Syntagma, Monastiraki or Akropoli metro stations: line 3 runs to the airport and line 1 to Piraeus port.
Day 2: Athens to Delphi
Morning. Take a KTEL Fokidas bus from the Liosion Street terminal (about 2h45, roughly €20) to Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. A rental car takes about 2h15 and makes tomorrow easier.
Afternoon. One ticket (about €20) covers the sanctuary of Apollo and the museum. Climb the Sacred Way past the Treasury of the Athenians to the temple, the theatre and the stadium; in the museum, see the bronze Charioteer.
Evening. Walk 15 minutes to the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia for the round Tholos at dusk, then dine on a terrace above the olive groves that run down to Itea.
There is little shade and the stadium climb is steep. In summer go at 8:00 or after 17:00.
Day 3: To Kalambaka and a Meteora sunset
Morning. By car, Delphi to Kalambaka is about 3 hours via Amfissa and Lamia. Without one, return to Athens for a Hellenic Train service from Larissis station (about 4-5 hours, often changing at Palaiofarsalos, €25-35); check current timetables.
Afternoon. Settle in Kastraki, the village right under the rock pillars, 2 km from Kalambaka, and walk the old footpath towards the Holy Trinity monastery.
Evening. Watch sunset from the Psaropetra viewpoint on the road near St Stephen's monastery, then eat grilled meat with tsipouro in Kalambaka for €15-20.
Book Kastraki rooms early from May to October; the best ones face the rocks.
Day 4: The monasteries of Meteora
Morning. Six monasteries are open, each about €3-5. Start at 9:00 at the Great Meteoron, the largest and highest, then Varlaam across the road. Each closes one weekday (the Great Meteoron usually Tuesday), so check before you plan.
Afternoon. Visit the Rousanou nunnery and St Stephen, reached over a small bridge with almost no steps, then head back towards Athens (about 4-5 hours).
Evening. Sleep near Syntagma or Monastiraki, close to metro line 1 for the morning ferry.
Men need long trousers; women a skirt below the knee and covered shoulders. Wraps are lent at the gates.
Day 5: Ferry to Naxos
Morning. From Piraeus, Blue Star Ferries reach Naxos in about 5 hours (around €40 in deck class); fast boats take 3.5-4 hours for €80-100. Book ahead in summer.
Afternoon. Walk 10 minutes across the causeway to the Portara, the marble doorway of an unfinished temple of Apollo from about 530 BC, then climb into the Venetian Kastro, whose archaeological museum fills the old Jesuit school.
Evening. Swim at Agios Georgios, 10 minutes south of the port, and come back for sunset behind the Portara.
Naxos rooms cost roughly half the Santorini price for the same standard.
Day 6: Naxos villages and beaches
Morning. Rent a car (about €40-60 a day) or take the KTEL bus inland to Halki, where the Vallindras distillery makes kitron liqueur, and on to the marble village of Apiranthos, about 45 minutes from town.
Afternoon. See the unfinished Kouros of Flerio, a 6th-century BC statue lying where it was carved, then swim at Agios Prokopios or Plaka beach; sunbeds cost €15-30 a pair.
Evening. Dinner in Agia Anna: local meat, Naxian potatoes and graviera, about €20-25 with wine.
The meltemi blows hard in July and August; west-coast beaches are the sheltered ones.
Day 7: Santorini: Fira to Oia
Morning. A morning ferry from Naxos reaches Santorini in about 1.5-2 hours (€50-80). Buses from Athinios port climb to Fira for about €2.50.
Afternoon. Walk the caldera path through Firostefani and Imerovigli, past Skaros Rock. The full path to Oia is about 10 km, 3-4 hours; in heat, stop at Imerovigli and take the bus.
Evening. Oia's sunset is packed: arrive an hour early at the castle ruins, or walk down the 300 steps to Ammoudi Bay for fish by the water (mains €25-40).
Cruise passengers crowd Fira at midday; walk early or late.
Day 8: Akrotiri, wine and black beaches
Morning. Visit Akrotiri (about €20), the Bronze Age town buried by the eruption of about 1600 BC, with two-storey houses under a protective roof. Swim at Perissa or Kamari, the black-sand beaches.
Afternoon. Taste assyrtiko and sweet vinsanto at Santo Wines or a family estate near Pyrgos (€20-40), then walk up through Pyrgos village.
Evening. Last evening on the caldera in Imerovigli or Fira. Santorini airport has 45-minute flights to Athens and many direct European flights in summer.
The Red Beach is often closed for rockfall risk; view it from the path above.
Only have 6 days?
With 6 days, give Athens one day, do Delphi as a day trip and skip Meteora, or skip Naxos and sail from Piraeus straight to Santorini.
Got extra days?
With 10 days, add the Peloponnese: Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, is about 2 hours from Athens, with day trips to Mycenae and the theatre of Epidaurus. Or add Paros, 40 minutes from Naxos by fast ferry.
Where to stay in Greece
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Koukaki (Athens) / Kalambaka | Family-run rooms near the sights, the bus and the train. | €60-100 |
| Mid-range | Plaka (Athens) / Kastraki (Meteora) | Under the Acropolis, and under the Meteora rocks, both quiet at night. | €110-180 |
| Mid-range | Naxos town (Chora) | Walk to the port, the Kastro and Agios Georgios; buses to every beach. | €90-160 |
| Comfort | Imerovigli / Oia (Santorini) | Caldera-view terraces and plunge pools. | €300-800 |
Getting around
KTEL buses link Athens with Delphi (Liosion terminal) and most towns; Hellenic Train runs Athens-Kalambaka, but timetables change. A rental car (€35-60 a day) makes Delphi to Meteora simple. Ferries leave Piraeus (metro line 1) and Rafina (bus from the airport); compare on the companies' sites or Ferryhopper. Island buses cost €2-3.
What to eat in Greece
Eat by region. In Athens share fava, grilled octopus, horta and keftedes. In Kalambaka, grilled meat with tsipouro, the grape spirit of Thessaly. Naxos is known for potatoes, graviera and arseniko cheeses and kitron. On Santorini try tomatokeftedes (tomato fritters), island fava and assyrtiko. A taverna meal with house wine is €15-25 away from the caldera, €40 and up with the view. Dinner starts after 21:00.
Best time to visit
May, June and September: warm sea, long days, longer monastery hours. July and August are hot (Athens often above 35°C), the islands are full and the meltemi blows. October still allows swimming until mid-month, with fewer ferries. From November to March many island hotels close; Athens and Meteora stay open.
Month-by-month weather for Greece →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €35 | €75 | €200 |
| Food & drink | €25 | €45 | €90 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €30 | €60 |
| Local transport | €15 | €30 | €70 |
| Total per person, per day | about €90 | about €180 | about €420 |
Approximate 2026 prices averaged over the trip, including buses, trains and two ferries; Santorini costs about twice the mainland. Greece adds a per-room, per-night climate resilience fee, higher from April to October.
Before you go
Common questions
Should I book ferries in advance?
For July and August, yes, especially fast boats and cabins. In May, June, September and October a few days ahead is usually enough. Book on the official company sites or a comparison site, and check the day before: strong winds can cancel small fast ferries in the Cyclades.
Can I see Meteora as a day trip from Athens?
On an organised tour, yes, but it means about 9-10 hours of travel for 3-4 hours at the monasteries. One night in Kalambaka or Kastraki is far better: you get a sunset and the monasteries at 9:00, before the tour buses arrive.
Do I need a car in Greece?
Not in Athens, where the metro is simpler. A car helps on the mainland, because Delphi to Meteora has no simple direct bus, and on Naxos for the inland villages. On Santorini the bus network centred on Fira is enough for most visitors, and parking in Oia is hard in summer.
Which islands suit a first trip?
Santorini for the caldera, Naxos for beaches, villages and value, Paros for a mix of both. All three sit on the same ferry line from Piraeus. Mykonos is close but much more expensive, and Crete needs at least four days of its own.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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